Jack the Ripper
" Jack the Ripper " is the popular name given to a serial killer who killed a number of prostitutes in the East End of London in 1888 . The killings took place within a mile area and involved the districts of Whitechapel , Spitalfields and Aldgate . He was called the Whitechapel Murderer before a letter was received by the Scotland Yard which claimed to have been written by the murderer himself . The signature on the letter read “ Jack the Ripper ”. Much of the original evidence gathered at the time has been lost , and many " facts " are actually opinions by the various writers who have written about the case during the past century .
Role of Media and Press
Jack the ripper has remained popular for a number of reasons . The most important one was that the murders took place in a metropolitan city , where the press and media was a force for social change . Every day the activities of the Ripper were chronicled in the newspapers , as were the results of the inquiries and the actions taken by the police . Even the feelings of the people living in the East End , and the editorials that attacked the various establishments of Society appeared each day for both the people of London and the whole world to read . The press coverage made this series of murders popular .
The Victims
It is commonly believed that the Ripper himself was responsible for five murders . Although some have written that he had killed seven or more victims . The public , press , and even many junior police officers , whereas , believed that the Ripper was responsible for nine slayings . The five that are generally accepted as the work of the Ripper include Mary Ann Nichols , Annie Chapman , Elizabeth Stride , Catharine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly . All five of these listed plus Martha Tabram , whose case is still disputed , were prostitutes and were killed between early August and early November 1888 . All but Tabram and Kelly were killed outdoors . They varied in both age and appearance . Most were diagnosed or suspected to be drunk at the time they were killed .